Burial-casket.



No. 64|,377. Patented Jan. I6, I900. W. C. DUNLAP.

BUBIAL CASKET.

(Application filed June 17, 1899.) (No Model.) I 2 ShaetsSheet 2.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER c. DUNLAP, or wnsr BRIDGEWATER, PENNSYLVANIA.

BURIAL-CASKEQT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,377, dated January 16, 1900. Application filed June 17,1899. I Serial No. 720,890. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER O. DUNLAP, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Bridgewater,in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Caskets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in burial-caskets.

The invention has several objects in view, among which is the construction of a casket of neat design or appearance having semioctagon ends. Another object is to construct the casket in such manner that both ends and sides may be let down to give the appearance of a lounge.

Another object is to further construct'the casket so that when its sides and ends are laid down the same will not appear out of proportion in width or length; and the final object is to provide the casket with a pillow whose position may be adjusted to suit the casket when opened out to form the lounge.

With the above objects in View the'invention finally consists in the novel construction described hereinafter in detail.

To make the same fully understood the like detail parts in the several views are designated by like numerals.

In said views, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved casket. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same having the lid removed. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the lid. Fig. 5 is an end sectional view through the casket and lid. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the casket having the lid removed and one side piece let down. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same with both sides and ends let down. Fig. 8 is an end sectional view through the casket when said sides and ends are let down.

Inall views, except Fig. 8, the casket and lid are shown without interior decorations or linings for the purpose of more fully showing the construction thereof. As the finishing of the casket-linings forms no part of my invention, the same may be done to suit the ends are laid down parallel with the bottom I to form a couch they will extend but a short distancebeyond the bottom and not appear to be out of proportion. This lid I prefer to attach to the rear side piece by the slide hinges 3, so that the same may be quickly and easily removed. Both the rear side piece 2 and front side 4 are connected direct to the bottom piece 13 by suitable hinges 5, said sides being mitered at their ends. Each end of the casket is formed of the three sections 6, 7, and 8, having mitered ends and connected together by suitable hinges 9, the central section being connected direct to the bottom piece by hinges 10. In order to secure the sides and ends rigidly together when they are in their vertical or closed position, I attach theeyelets 11 and hooks 12 to the sides and ends, and I prefer to place the same near the upper edges, as shown. The bolster-pillow 15 is constructed and arranged to fold up by doubling the ends over, so that they will meet at the center when the sides and ends of the casket are in their elevated position,

and is capable of being unfolded to extend across the bottom and side pieces when laid down. The bolster-pillow is fastened to the rods 16, which loosely engage in the eyelets 17 upon the bottom of the casket, and the object of this arrangement is that when the sides and ends of the casket are let down the bolster-pillow may be drawn up and cover the vacant space between the ends and side pieces at the head of the casket.

When the casket is used as a lounge with the sides and end pieces let down and the pillow adjusted, it is customary to spread a covering over the corpse from the waist downward, thereby covering the vacant space at the foot between the end pieces and sides. By hinging both ends and both side pieces direct to the bottom of the casket and padding the bottom and sides up to such height that they will all be upon a fiat plane the same will appear as one piece, as shown by dotted lines on Fig. 8. By this construction of the casket and its lid I am able to convert the casket into a lounge at will. Besides the semioctagon ends present a much neater appearance than one of square form.

I am aware of other forms of caskets having their sides and ends arranged to be let down, but they diifer greatly from this construction.

Having thus fully shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved construction in burial-caskets, comprising a bottom piece or base having semi-octagon ends, shallow side pieces hinged direct to said bottom piece, shallow ends, each composed of three sections hinged together with the central ones hinged direct to the bottom piece, hooks and eyes to engage one another and hold the said ends and sides in their upright position, and a removable hinged lid having tapered sides and ends whose depth is about equal to the hinged side and end pieces, all arranged and combined as shown and set forth.

2. An improved construction in burial-caskets, comprising a bottom piece or base having semi-octagon ends, shallow side pieces hinged direct to said bottom piece, shallow ends each composed of three sections hinged together with the central ones hinged direct to the bottom piece, hooks and eyes to engage one another to hold the said ends and sides together in their upright position, an adj ustable pillow having rods connecting thereto which pass through eyelets attached to said bottom piece, and a hinged lid having tapering sides and ends which have a depth of about equal to the said hinged side and end pieces, all arranged and combined as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a casket having its sides and ends arranged to be let down and form a lounge, of a bolster-pillow having its ends folded over to form a pillow of double thickness when the casket sides and ends are in their closed position and a means whereby the same is adj ustably attached to the casketbottom for the purpose of covering the open space between the end and side pieces when they are let down to form a lounge, as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVALIER C. DUNLA'P.

lVitnesses: Ms. J. MoAFEE,

D. F. MOKEE. 

